What is UCF Alert?
UCF Alert is a multi-media communications system that provides timely and accurate information about emergency situations that could impact the university. The goal is to help keep the campus safe and informed during an emergency.
UCF's Department of Emergency Management, Police Department and Communications team determine which communications tools are used during an emergency. These offices work together to provide timely and accurate information to the UCF community.
UCF Alert features several communications tools, including e-mails, text messages, Web updates, social media, sirens and more. Generally, e-mails and text messages will be used only for events that present an imminent danger to the campus community or that significantly impact university operations. UCF understands that some UCF Alert members may be charged for receiving text messages, and therefore will use text messages judiciously.
Examples of situations where text messages and e-mails might be sent include, but are not limited to, bomb threats, chemical spills, police or first responder activity, extreme weather alerts, etc.
At all times, the best source for official news and information is the UCF website, www.ucf.edu. The site will be updated during an emergency as information becomes available.
For questions about UCF Alert and how it is used, please contact the UCF Department of Emergency Management at 407-882-7111.
Why UCF Alerts are “Urgent”
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires SMS carriers to protect consumers from spam text messages. These rules are laid out in the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). For all non-emergency text messages, SMS carriers require you gather prior consent from recipients and message them over unique, sender-identifiable numbers. This helps them ensure nonemergency messages are not spam. Emergency text messages are different. They do not require prior consent, allowing UCF to reach people quickly with critical safety information.
Text messages sent for emergency purposes remain a special type of communication, as supported by the FCC and TCPA. When sending emergency messages, carriers require all senders, including Rave clients, to clearly identify all emergency messages with a sender name and an emergency label. In this case, “Urgent UCF Alert” serves as the identifier for UCF emergency messages.
How to enroll in UCF Alert
All UCF students, faculty and staff are automatically enrolled into the UCF Alert system. However, it’s a good idea to frequently ensure your contact information is up-to-date. To do so:
- Go to www.getrave.com/login/ucf
- Log in using your NID and password
- On the “My Account” tab, verify the information including your e-mail address and mobile phone number
- Your UCF email address is listed by default; to add an additional email address, click the “Add” button
- To edit your mobile phone number, click the “Edit” icon and follow all prompts for mobile phone verification
Questions
For questions about UCF Alert and how it is used, please contact the UCF Department of Emergency Management at 407-882-7111.